The first law passed by Tennessee with reference to importation of slaves was in 1812. It prohibited their importation as merchandise for a term of five years. Persons coming as settlers or residents who had acquired slaves by descent, devise, marriage, or purchase for their own use were permitted to import them. Immigrants were obliged to take the following oath: "I, A.B., do solemnly swear or affirm that I have removed myself and slaves to the State of Tennessee with the full and sole view of becoming a citizen, and that I have not brought my slave or slaves to this State with any view to the securing of the same against any rebellion or apprehension of rebellion, so help me God."[382] No other law concerning importation was enacted until 1826. It was practically the same as that of 1812 except that it was a perpetual act and no one was allowed to introduce slaves which had been guilty of crimes in other States.[383] This act continued in force until 1855 when so much of it was repealed as related to the importation of slaves as merchandise.[384] MISSOURI, ARKANSAS, FLORIDA AND TEXAS. The Constitution of Missouri (1820) circumscribed the powers of the legislature with reference to importation of slaves as follows: "The General Assembly shall have no power to pass laws to prevent bona fide immigrants to this State or actual settlers therein from bringing from any of the United States, or from any of their territories, such persons as may there be deemed to be slaves, so long as any persons of the same description are allowed to be held as slaves by the laws of this State. "They shall have power to pass laws: "To prohibit the introduction into this State of any slaves who may have committed any high crime in any other State or territory; "To prohibit the introduction of any slave for the purpose of speculation, or as an article of trade or merchandise; "To prohibit the introduction of any slave or the offspring of any slave, who heretofore may have been, or who hereafter may be imported from any foreign country into the United States or any territory thereof in contravention of any existing statue of the United States."[385] The first constitutions of most of the other Southern States had provisions somewhat similar to these among which are Arkansas,[386] Florida,[387] and Texas.[388] The only laws passed by Missouri regarding importation were those of 1835, 1843 and 1845. The law of 1843 simply prohibited the importation of slaves entitled to freedom at a future date[389] and against kidnapping in 1845.[390] The law of 1835 was the leading one. It prohibited the introduction of any slave who had elsewhere committed any infamous crime, or any who had been removed from Missouri for crime, or any imported into the United States contrary to law.[391] Texas[392] and Florida[393] as States seem never to have prohibited the importation of slaves except those guilty of crime.